The very messy fight between Barnes & Noble and Parneros revolves around who is to blame after a potential buyer for the troubled bookstore chain pulled out of the process in June of 2018. Parneros was early July, with no notice or warning from Barnes & Noble. Parneros filed his defamation and breach of contract suit in August. The 19-page document describes Barnes & Noble as a dysfunctional organization, and that Parneros had been recruited to turn the company around, but that his efforts were often thwarted by Leonard Riggio, the former CEO largest shareholder. Riggio has been with Barnes & Noble since 1971, during which time he took Barnes & Noble from one location and built it into the largest bookstore chain in America.

The suit then moves into allegations of sexual harassment against Parneros, with the implication that the allegations were used as a pretext for his firing by Riggio, who sought to regain control of the company. Parneros is seeking over 4 million dollars in severance pay plus damages.